Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-25


with the inevitable glass screwed into his
right eye, "that the General has ordered
the artillery to open On the stockades and
other works with red hot shells? TraVers
says So"
"That is very like Travers," replied an
artillery officer, quite gravely; "but the
bursting powder must be in, OF course
before our shells are heated"
"Aw-aw-of course" said Danvers.
Il was now well-known on board the
squadron that the bloodsteeped TheeoeW
intended TO show US that he was no de
generate successor of that Alomtrea, VINO
defeated the Peguan coDqueror OF his
country snd founded its dynasty; OF
| that other King of Burmah, who
when a missionary asked his permission
! TO make converts from Buddhism, he re-
piled: "Convert as many as you can but
of 60 their heads the moment after" Sc
the missionary found little trouble II
wanting the caputs OF the converted.
Theebaw proclaimed that he was to IN
! furl the Peacock Flag at the head Of his
troops, and Notwithstanding his awful
massacres and mad despotism, he seemed
to be certainly popular with one small
section of his people, and vowed he
would treat them to the slaughter of GER
tain British subjects whom he had in his
hands-detained officers of the IraWaddy
Flotilla-whose heads he would hang
upon trees, like so many cocoa nuts.
He would arm about $4,000 men with
lifes OF various kinds, some being ven
cradle flint-locks, warranted, perhaps,
not to 90 of ct all, or like some of those
with which our English government arm
the British troops, as perilous to those
who handle them as to the enemy.
By this time he had cut the telegraph
wires between Rapgoon and Mandalay, al
MinhIa. All the troops for the expedi-
ton were to concentrate at the first
named place and to advance boldly up the
Irawaddy, striking the initiative blow at
Minhla.
CHAPTER XXXvI.-CANTONED AT RANGOON.
The second battalion of Lonsdale's reg
iment Prince Albert's Somersetshire
Light Infantry-had, as stated, been sta-
toned for some time previous st Ran
COON, then in q part Of British Burmah !;
thus he and Montressor soon found them
selves warmly welcomed by circle of
old friends and comrades.
Lonsdsle, proud of his corps-as what
true soldier is not-hsd often looked with
ardour at its colors as they fioated out on
the wind, covered with honors won in
other wars, and not, as Ossian has it,
against "the sons of feeble men," like the
Wretched Burmese of Theebaw; and
Sphinx and Mural Crown, was Of the old
days; when, on going into action, the
first orders were:
"GentIemen! Uncase the colours. Elk.
anime your fints and printing!"
800 not the old colours of aregiment,".
asks writer, "riddied with shot, latter
ed and stained out Of all their early
beauty, bring 10 US a sigh Of loving
tribute to the glories so present to the
spirit-so little discernible now?"
And colors they were, still of the old
day, Of long service and veteran soldiers
not of the weedV boys, that die like flies
when hardships come-days Of the "Old
Red Rag" that tells OF Britain's glory,
and when the vile khoki, that suggests
only the garb of convict, was unknown.
And now for bit Of unknown history.
This SOmersetshire regiment, about
which we msy have something to write,
was raised by Iheophilus, seventh Earl
Of Huntingdon, in the troublesome year
1855, for King James-the same peer
whose house, as s noted loyalist, was
searched by the Williamites in 1892, for
papers which he had burned; but in
whose stables were found horses enough
to mount squadron of cavalry, and who
had been succeeded in the memorable
year OF the revolution by his son Ferdi- |
nandi Hastings. Then came the Earl Of
as colonel in the truce of the
UBlon; Stanhope Cotton in the year of
Harry Pulteney in the days
Of DettiDgen and CulIoden; and to these
I'D memories it added more recent glories |
won in every quarter Of the globe; Snd it |
vas perhaps the last corps in Her Mai |
ssty's service to use the old flint-lock |
nusket, with which its soldiers, under |
he gallant Sir Robert Sale, the veteran |
If Mallovelly, fought their way through !
he Khyber Passes down to IclaIlabad in |
841-Sale, the same splendid soldier,
Who, in the first Burmese wsr, had aided |
he stormIng of the great belI-shaped |
)agon Pagods at Rangoon
To Montague Lonsdale, the latter round |
difice was an object of wonderful inter
st, when he saw it towering skywsrd to
he height Of $50 feet, and glittering in
he sun-the largest "relicshrine," as It's
anne imparts, in all Indo China, and from
Is site, on the last spur of the Pogo
'oms range, visible for vast distance
round, whittier the clang of its mighty
ell, fourteen feet in height, can be sent
From its summit he could see, as in q
lass at his feet, groves Of banyan and
ocoa-nut trees, large open buildings,
obtaining monstrous images of Guadama,
ONE in Sittino. some in sleeDipo nnGi-
ons, surrounded by others OF priests
nd attendants in the act of worship;
theirs of elephants, lions, angels and {
emons, and OF objects altogether indie I
elsewhere, swamps, rice fats,
wv bushes; and away to the north, dense
lngle, with the river flowing between, (
90 yards in breadth and deep enough for
Iden ships of 1900 tons. 1
Such was the new and strsnge locality !
/ which Lonsdale now found himself,
it'll his comrades of the old Somerset
hire, and elaborate descriptions of which |
g sent in more than one long letter to
LelRnie.
More than once during the brief period :
inaction at Rangoon he had tormenting
reams of her, born, doubtless, of his
skiing thoughts-at least he could but j
fer go; dreams of Melanie st their old t
ystipg place, under the great trees be- '
de the shining river on which the water
les fosted. She was not there with +
mself, he thought, but with old Sir
risco; and once-he never forgot that t
esm-he seemed to see StoKencross q
urch in the background, old, grey, and Y
If hidden among the foliage; while t
midst q group. the faces of which were q